Former Quebec Nordiques executive Gilles Leger dies at 83

Gilles Leger, who spent 15 seasons working with the Quebec Nordiques organization from 1979-80 to 1994-95, dies this week at the age of 83.

The NHL confirmed the news in a statement Wednesday.

“The hockey world mourns the passing of Gilles Leger, whose career in professional hockey spanned six decades as a coach, general manager, pro scout and other hockey operations positions for teams in the NHL, AHL and WHA,” the league wrote in a post on social media.

A native of Cornwall, Ont., Leger coached the St. Francis Xavier University hockey team before he was hired as an assistant coach with the Ottawa Nationals, a franchise in the World Hockey Association. He had brief coaching stints with the WHA’s Toronto Toros and Birmingham Bulls.

In 1978, he unsuccessfully tried to recruit a 17-year-old prodigy named Wayne Gretzky, but was able to sign six players still young for the NHL Draft: Michel Goulet, Rick Vaive, Gaston Gingras, Rob Ramage, Craig Hartsburg and goaltender Pat Riggin.

He joined the Nordiques as the director of player development in 1979, when the franchise transitioned to the NHL. He served in that role for four seasons before becoming taking the job of assistant general manager, a position he held from 1984-85 to 1994-95. When the team moved to Denver to become the Colorado Avalanche, he served in various roles with the AHL and QMJHL before joining the Edmonton Oilers as a scout between 1998 and 2000.

For the next 20 seasons, he was a scout with the New York Rangers, eventually retiring in 2020.

“We send our heartfelt condolences to his family and the many friends he made in hockey across a lengthy career serving the game he loved,” the league added.